Bristol arts venue sells Banksy artwork for £11,000

A rare Banksy print has been sold for £11,000 by the volunteer arts group in Bristol it was gifted to.

The signed and authenticated print was donated anonymously to the Cube Cinema - a volunteer collective - which was last year bidding to buy its premises.

The auction money raised will move the venue's future plans one step closer to fruition, the group said.

Fifty of the prints have been produced and this one was expected to sell for up to £10,000 at Bonhams in London.

'Essential maintenance'

The Cube was gifted the print by an anonymous donor

The work comes from the "Di-faced tenner" series, a set of spoof £10 notes replacing the Queen's head with an image of the late Princess of Wales.

It was passed to the group last year during their campaign to raise £185,000 to buy the freehold on the building they had occupied since 1998.

"The money raised from the Banksy sale will go towards essential maintenance work - first and foremost, on repairing the cinema roof," said the group.

"Plans are also in development for improving disabled access, carrying out acoustic and cosmetic improvements, upgrading toilets and heating and redesigning the Cube's interior in line with its proud history as a social, inclusive and creative space."

The Cube, which is run by about 150 voluntary staff, stages film screenings and performance art.